they'd seen each other in action, neither one of them could resist the impulse to do it again. And again. And again, for five straight days.
After that first time, when Knox had urged Josie to pleasure herself, he'd expected there to be an awkward tension between them. Josie wasn't like the professional sex workers who made regular visits. He couldn't expect her to compartmentalize what she did with her body and what she felt with her heart.
She was her own woman, one who had made a name for herself touting the rights and freedom of all women. Knox briefly worried she might feel ashamed of her behavior as a result or even blame him for the pleasure they'd shared—but he couldn't have been more wrong.
Josie took to their new pastime like a duck to water. Her orgasm had barely subsided when she propped herself up on her elbow and gave him a slow, self-satisfied grin, not even bothering to close her legs.
"Well, that was fun," she said brightly. "Not to mention unexpected."
Knox wasn't about to quarrel with her, even though to him, it felt as if they'd been leading up to the moment for days. Still, he was relieved that she didn't regret it, and even more pleased that afterward, she was still the same funny, engaging person as before.
If anything, Josie seemed even more open and honest. With every day, she went deeper, revealing more, trusting him further. And despite never touching, the connection between them grew.
Knox had some powerful orgasms during their shared sessions, but they were accompanied by an almost crippling sense of incompleteness. His body knew the difference between his hand and the gorgeous creature it wanted.
Which meant that he was in a constant state of desire and frustration. The image of Josie's naked body had imprinted permanently on his mind. He'd be about to fall asleep when the memory of her perfect breasts would come to mind. Or he'd be pouring a cup of coffee and be struck by the fantasy of wrapping his hands around her luscious heart-shaped ass.
Knox wasn't sure what to make of it. He'd never had a lover who was also a friend. Hell, until now, he would have said that such a thing was impossible. But when he looked at Josie, he felt more than just his initial attraction. The warmth that had first stirred in his cock had spread through his body, coming ever closer to his heart.
But giving in to that warmth was a really shitty idea. Fooling around with a pretty beta was one thing, but falling for a dormant omega was a certain disaster.
For the past week, Knox had been playing a dangerous game of chicken, trying to see how close he could get to Josie without claiming her.
That had been a mistake. He knew that the farther he took it, the messier their parting would be. If he had any brains left in his head, he would have ended it days ago. Hell, he would have shut it down before it even started—stop the conversations, keep his pants zipped, slam the brakes on all of it before someone got hurt.
But each day, he put it off. Tomorrow, he told himself. There was always tomorrow.
Until today, when they were all out of tomorrows.
Knox stood by the side of his bed, looking down at Josie's beautiful face in sleep, her lips slightly parted, her hair tangled across her pillow. "Sugar, wake up."
Josie burrowed further under the covers as she gave a soft, reluctant moan. A moment later, though, she rolled onto her back and opened her eyes, a contented smile already on her lips—until she realized he was standing only inches from the bed. Instantly, she rolled away to the far side of the mattress.
So she still didn't want him. The pleasure she took from their shared fantasy?—yes. Him?—no.
Knox already knew the truth, but it cut deep all the same. Sure, he was fine for a few laughs and some innocent sexytime—but Josie couldn't wait to go back to a life in which she was important and powerful, an activist who was feared and respected in equal measure. A woman like Josie would never settle for being stuck to an alpha's side for the rest of her life.
Knox reminded himself that he didn't want her as a mate either, that he was just as determined to get his old life back. But the lie landed like a punch to the gut.
"What's going on?" Josie asked, looking concerned.
"You